Steam-engine.



No. 660,464. Patented Oct. 23, |900.

E. SARVERn STEAMENGINE.

(Application filed Dec. 29, 1899.)

(Nr.1 Model.)

l l -ya f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD SARVER, OF DEADWOOD, SOUTH DAKOTA.

STEAM-ENGINE.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,464, dated October 23, 1900.

Application fled December 29, 1899. Serial No. 741,982. (No model.) i

To all whom if may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD SARVER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Deadwood, in the county of Lawrence and State of South Dakota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in steam-engines, and is more particularly intended to be used in connection with a locomotive and pertains to providing a relief mechanism or construction for the pistonvalves, all of which will be fully described.

hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a locomotive-cylinder and steam-chest with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a modification of the manner of applying my invention to a pistonvalve. Fig. 3 is a section through the reliefvalves.

In practice it is found that piston-valves for use in engines are exceedingly advantageous when the engine is at work. and steam is being controlled by the action of the piston-valve. It is also found, however, that when steam is shut off from the steam-chest and the engine is drifting the pistonvalves suck and compress air in either end of the chest alternately and there is no relief from the atmospheric pressure caused thereby, which frequently results in the breaking of the valve without any apparent cause and which also frequently results in the damag-l and must be moved against the compression and the vacuum caused by the movement thereof, thus making the reversing of the engine difficult when the engine is drifting or standing, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

For the purpose of overcoming the difficulties and objections' to the piston form of cutoff valve I have combined with the steamchest now used a relief port or connection whereby this compression and vacuum is prevented.

Referring now to the drawings, A is the ordinary steam-cylinder, B the piston situated therein, and C the piston-rod, which is connected with the drivers in the usual manner (not here shown, as it forms no part of my invention) and with the steam-ports D and E, which establish communication between 0pposite ends of the steam-cylinder A and the steam-chest F. Situated within the steamchest F is the ordinary piston-valve G, which consists, as usual, of the two pistons H and I.

J is the usual exhaust-port.

Thus far I have Vdescribed the ordinary steam-cylinder, its piston, and the ordinary piston situated therein, and the ordinary piston-valve steam-chest and its piston.

I will now explain my invention, which pertains to providing atmospheric communication at opposite ends of the steam-chest F and through the steam-chest to opposite ends of the cylinder A, which will relieve and prevent the usual compressing and vacuum actions heretofore referred to.

Referring now particularly to Fig. l, I show a construction of my invention whereby it is adapted to be applied to the ordinary steamlocomotive now in use. This is accomplished by boring two ports a in opposite ends of the steam-chest, to which opposite ends of a pipe b are connected in any suitable manner. This pipe b is provided with an external communication c for admitting air or atmosphere i to opposite ends of the steam-chest F and to opposite ends of the steam-cylinder A in a in Fig. 1, is as follows: When the engine is standing, or when the engine is drifting, the valve C will open and establish atmospheric communication through the pipe b with opposite ends of the steam-chest F. Now, assuming that the piston Gr is moving to the left, air will be forced out of the rear end of the chest through the pipe b and will be drawn into the opposite end of the chest. When the piston G has moved sufficiently to uncover the forward steam-cylinder port D, the piston B situated therein will move backward and air will be drawn in through the relief-port c, the pipe b, and the forward end of the steam-chest through the port D to the forward end of the cylinder A and fill the same as the piston moves backward. When the movement of these parts is reversed, the operation at the opposite end of the steamcylinder A and the steam-chest F will be that just described, While at the forward end of the steam-chest F the air will be forced therefrom through the pipe b, and when the piston-valve G has spanned the port D and the exhaust-port J the piston B in the cylinder A will then move forward and the air contained therein will be forced through the port D and the exhaust-port J to the atmosphere.

From this description it will be seen that my invention prevents absolutely any sucking and any compression of the atmosphere by either the piston G or the piston B within the cylinder A, and thus prevents the objections to the use of the piston-valve heretofore noted. When 'steam is admitted for the purpose of working the piston B within the cylinder A, and consequently driving the engine, the relief-valve C is closed by the pressure thereof and my invention then ceases to operate or in any manner effect the usual and ordinary operation of the engine.

In Fig. 2 I show a slight modification in respect to my invention, wherein instead 0f using a pipe b for connecting my invention to the ordinary piston steam-chest I provide a specially-constructed steam-chest, in which there is a passage-way 2, the equivalent of the pipe l), which establishes communication between opposite ends of the steam-chest F, and this passage-way 2 is provided with a relief-port 3, controlled by a relief-valve 4.

The operation of the construction shownA in Fig. 2 is identically the same as that described in respect to Fig. l, which need not be repeated, the only difference being that Fig. 2 shows a steam-chest specially constructed for the use of my invention, while Fig. 1 shows my invention applied to the ordinary steam-chest which is now in use.

I also provide a safety-valve e to be 4used in communication with the pipe b, Fig. l, and the passage-way 2, Fig. 2, for the purpose of preventing the bursting or breaking of the steam-chest or the cylinder A when the engine is reversed when running fast or when the eccentric is slipping bad when the engine is running at high speed. The spring fserves to hold the valve e. to its seat, and this spring C is set to withstand a pressure about fivetimes greater than the pressure of the boiler safety-valve. This arrangement will prevent the bursting of the chest or of the cylinder from the reversing of the engine when under full steam or the slipping of the eccentric when the engine is running fast.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-i 1. A piston-valve steam-chest having at each end an inlet atmospheric or external communication, and a valve adapted to control the said communications, substantially as described.

2. A piston-valve steam-chest provided at each end with an opening,a passage-way estab'- lishingcommunicationbetween the said openings, the said passage-way having an atmospheric communication, and an inwardly-opening valve adapted to control the said atmospheric communication, substantially as described.

3. A piston-valve chest having at each end an inlet atmospheric communication, and a valve for said communication, said valve constructed to open when the steam-pressure is relieved, and adaptedto close when the steampressure is admitted to the piston-chest, substantially as described.

4. A piston-valve chest having at each end an inlet atmospheric communication independent of the steam-ports and an inwardlyopening valve for said communication adapted to close the same under steam-pressure and to permit the opening thereof under vacuum or suction pressure, substantially as described.

5. A piston-valve chest having at each end an opening, a passage-way establishing communication between the said openings, the openings and passage-way being independent of the steam-ports of the said chest, the said passage way having an inlet atmospheric opening,'and an inwardly-opening valve controlling the said atmospheric openings, substantially as described.

6. A piston-valve chest provided at each end with an opening, a pipe having its ends in communication with the said openings and establishing communication between opposite ends of the piston-chest, said pipe situated outside of the chest and provided with an opening, and a valve adapted to open said pipe-opening when the steam-pressure is removed and to close the said openings when the steam-pressure is applied, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a piston -valve steam-chest having openin gs at each end, and a passage-way connecting the said openings, the passage-way having an opening establishing atmospheric communication to the said passage-way, the said opening having independently inwardly and outwardly opening IOO IIO

9. A piston-valve steam-chest having atrnosphericcommunication at each end, and

separate inwardly and outwardly opening re= lief-valves for the said openings, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD SARVER. Witnesses:

O. F. KOHLER, FRED. HoUsER. 

